Another Austin festival gets washed out at the last minute

Another Austin festival gets washed out at the last minute

This weekend's Levitation festival has been canceled.
Photo by Jon Shapley

Austin's rainy weather has claimed another victim: Levitation was canceled due to inclement weather just one day before the festival's kickoff.

On Thursday night, festival organizers announced the cancellation in a heartfelt letter on the Levitation website. "We are completely devastated. We have been working for a year, looking forward to this weekend and seeing you all at the ranch," reads the note.

The three-day music and camping festival was scheduled to rock Carson Creek Ranch April 29 through May 1 with big names like Brian Wilson, Animal Collective, and Flying Lotus. However, rainy forecasts and the ranch's proximity to the Colorado River created an unsafe environment.

"Safety is our first priority," says Levitation. "We've been working with county officials trying to find a way to carry on, but at this point the decision has been made, and it is beyond our control. The cancellation is due to dangerous weather conditions in the forecast combined with weather complications to the grounds and the Colorado River."

Festival organizers go on to explain the severity of this year's situation. "You may remember that in 2015 we had severe weather warnings as well, but were able to get through the weekend. The difference between 2015 and 2016 is the severity of the storms being predicted, including high wind, large hail, and tornado warnings, combined with high water levels from last week's flooding."

It's not all doom and gloom, though. Levitation will issue refunds for all passes within 30 days through Front Gate Tickets.

Festival organizers are also working with Austin venues to reschedule some of the acts playing the festival. These shows will be separate from the festival, so tickets will be released through the venue; Levitation passes will not get you in. Check back with the Levitation website for more updates.